French advertising giant Publicis Groupe SA is in talks to acquire U.S.-based Sapient Corp. as it attempts to fast-track its move into digital technology, according the Wall Street Journal.The report said Publicis' bid comes after a failed merger attempt in May with Omnicom Group. Publicis, the world's third-largest ad company, has blamed its recent slowdown in growth in part on the distraction caused by the merger, which was aborted amid internal power struggles.The new deal could be announced as soon as Monday, the Journal said, though it added that the talks could fall apart at the last minute. Publicis is scheduled on Friday to present investors with a plan for increasing digital advertising.Sapient and Publicis were not immediately available for comment.
Omnicom Group Inc. (Omnicom), is a holding company, providing professional services to clients through multiple agencies. Shares of OMC traded higher by 1.55% or $1.1/share to $71.86. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $64.03 and as high as $76.87. On average, 1463710 shares of OMC exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 1949535.
Sapient Corporation (Sapient) is a global services company, which helps clients leverage marketing and technology to transform their businesses. Shares of SAPE traded higher by 2.79% or $0.47/share to $17.32. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $12.85 and as high as $17.95. On average, 844497 shares of SAPE exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 2620242.
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